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Abstract:

This device for applying a treatment product to a surface to be treated
comprises a file (5) for filing the surface to be treated, an applicator
(3) for taking a quantity of product and applying it to the surface to be
treated, and a sleeve (2), equipped with said file and said applicator,
for handling the device.

Claims:

1. A device for applying a treatment product to a nail that is to be
treated, comprising: a file intended to file the surface that is to be
treated, an applicator intended to pick up a quantity of product and to
apply it to the surface that is to be treated, and a handle equipped with
said file and with said applicator, for handling said device, the file
and the applicator being mounted respectively at two opposite ends of the
handle.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the file is mounted
removably on the handle.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the file is attached to the
handle by means of an adhesive of the repositionable type.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the file is produced in the
form of an abrasive sheet, the handle comprising notches for holding said
sheet in position.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the file is incorporated
into the handle, the handle comprising on its surface an abrasive region
delimiting said file.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the applicator is mounted
removably on the handle.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the handle comprises clip
fastening means for attaching the applicator.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the clip fastening means are
configured in such a way as to hold the applicator in position in a first
direction corresponding to a direction in which the applicator is handled
when applying the product and as to release the applicator in another
direction.

9. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the handle comprises an
axial housing intended to accept one end of the applicator, the
applicator and the housing comprising, one of them, at least one bulge
and, the other of them, at least one corresponding recess into which the
bulge can clip.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the applicator comprises a
spatula, preferably a perforated one.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle has a
longitudinal shape and comprises two opposite end regions which are
respectively equipped with the file and with the applicator.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein it further comprises a pad
of material impregnated with nail cleaning product.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the treatment product is a
product capable of dissolving a solidified treatment product applied to
the treatment surface in an earlier treatment.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pad is provided on a
first face of the handle which is the opposite face to a second face that
carries the file.

15. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pad is held in
position by bonding or using means of attachment of the hook and loop
type.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle is made of a
plastic, notably of polycarbonate, or of glass.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the handle incorporates
additions to make it stiffer.

18. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means that make
it easier to see the treatment product.

19. A kit for treating a nail that is to be treated, the kit comprising:
a handle in the form of a stick, a first set of at least one file
intended to file the nail that is to be treated and a second set of at
least one applicator intended to pick up a quantity of nail treatment
product and apply it to the nail, at least one of said first and second
sets constituting a set of disposable items intended to be attached
removably to the handle.

Description:

[0001] The invention relates to a device for applying a treatment product
to a surface that is to be treated.

[0002] More specifically, the invention relates to a device for treating a
toenail or fingernail.

[0003] One particularly advantageous application of such a device is the
treatment of a nail suffering from a mycosis.

[0004] It is known that nail mycoses are treated by applying a
film-forming solution in the form of a lacquer to the surface that is to
be treated. One treatment solution that is particularly effective in
treating these fungal infections is marketed under the tradename
Loceryl®.

[0005] Applying this solution entails carefully cleaning and filing the
afflicted region of the nail; it being possible for the cleaning to be
done before and/or after the filing. The film-forming solution is then
applied using an applicator to the entire afflicted nail. The applicator
then has to be cleaned and hermetically sealed back in the bottle
containing the solution.

[0006] During the treatment, use is made of a file and of a spatula in
order respectively to file the afflicted region and to apply the solution
to the nail.

[0007] As will be appreciated, when the afflicted region is filed using
the file, the latter is likely to become soiled by the afflicted region.
The same is also true of the spatula.

[0008] This is why the film-forming solutions, particularly the product
marketed under the tradename Loceryl®, are marketed in the form of a
kit containing several files and several applicators which are
disposable.

[0009] However, this type of packaging does not make for easy treatment
and easy application of the solution.

[0010] In particular, when the mycosis to be treated affects a toenail,
the relatively small size of the file does not make for easy treatment,
particularly for individuals with reduced mobility.

[0011] It is therefore an object of the invention to alleviate this
disadvantage and to provide a device for applying a product that allows
easier treatment of a surface that is to be treated.

[0012] In a first aspect, one subject of the invention is therefore a
device for applying a treatment product to a surface that is to be
treated, which comprises a file intended to file the surface that is to
be treated, an applicator intended to pick up a quantity of product and
to apply it to the surface that is to be treated, and a handle equipped
with said file and with said applicator, for handling said device.

[0013] In one embodiment, the file is mounted removably on the handle.

[0014] In this respect, the file may be attached to the handle by means of
an adhesive of the repositionable type.

[0015] The file may alternatively be produced in the form of an abrasive
sheet, the handle comprising notches for holding said sheet in position.

[0016] In another embodiment, the file is incorporated into the handle,
the handle then comprising on its surface an abrasive region delimiting
said file.

[0017] The applicator may alternatively be mounted removably on the
handle, for example using clip-fastening means.

[0018] For example, the clip-fastening means are configured in such a way
as to hold the applicator in position in a first direction corresponding
to a direction in which the applicator is handled when applying the
product and as to release the applicator in another direction distinct
from the first direction.

[0019] In one embodiment, the handle comprises an axial housing intended
to accept one end of the applicator, the applicator and the housing
comprising, one of them, at least one bulge and, the other of them, at
least one corresponding recess into which the bulge can clip.

[0020] According to another feature of the device according to the
invention, the applicator comprises a spatula which may or may not be
perforated.

[0021] The handle for its part for example has a longitudinal shape and
comprises two opposite end regions which are respectively equipped with
the file and with the applicator.

[0022] According to one advantageous embodiment, the device further
comprises a pad of material impregnated with a product for cleaning the
surface that is to be treated.

[0023] For example, this treatment product is a product capable of
dissolving a solidified treatment product applied to the treatment
surface in an earlier treatment.

[0024] For example, the pad is provided on a first face of the handle
which is the opposite face to a second face that carries the file.

[0025] The pad may be held in position by bonding or using means of
attachment of the hook and loop type or other similar systems.

[0026] In various embodiments, the handle may be made of a plastic,
notably of polycarbonate, or of glass.

[0027] It may also incorporate additions to make it stiffer.

[0028] In one embodiment, the device may further comprise a means intended
to make it easier to see the treatment product.

[0029] In another aspect, another subject of the invention is the use of a
device as defined hereinabove to treat a toenail or fingernail.

[0030] According to a third aspect, a further subject of the invention is
a kit for treating a surface that is to be treated, which comprises a
handle, a first set of at least one file intended to file the surface
that is to be treated, and a second set of at least one applicator
intended to pick up a quantity of surface treatment product and apply it
to said surface, at least one of said first and second sets constituting
a set of disposable items intended to be attached removably to the
handle.

[0031] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from reading the following description, given solely by way of
nonlimiting example, and made with reference to the attached drawings in
which:

[0032]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a device for applying a product according
to the invention;

[0033]FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the device of FIG. 1, showing the
removable means of attaching the file to the handle;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the device of FIG. 1, showing
removable means of attaching the applicator to the handle;

[0035] FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic side views of the applicator of FIG. 1,
showing how the removable means of attaching the applicator to the handle
work;

[0036] FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the way in which the application device
according to the invention works;

[0037] FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the application device
according to the invention; and

[0038] FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate one particular embodiment of the
application device according to the invention.

[0039]FIG. 1 depicts a plan view of a device for applying a treatment
product to a surface that is to be treated, this device being denoted by
the overall reference 1.

[0040] In the envisioned embodiment, this device 1 is intended for
treating a mycosis of the toenails or of the fingernails with a
film-forming solution of the Loceryl® type.

[0041] As can be seen in this figure, the device 1 essentially comprises:
a handle 2 produced in the form of a longitudinal and preferably
ergonomically shaped stick; an applicator 3 produced in the form of a
perforated spatula provided at one of the ends 4 of the handle 2; and a
file 5 provided at the other end 6 of the handle 2, the opposite end to
the first end 4.

[0042] The file 5 is intended, during treatment, to remove excess
thickness of nail and to remove some of the products solidified on the
nail.

[0043] The applicator 3 for its part is intended to pick up a quantity of
product and to apply it to a previously-filed nail.

[0044] The handle 2 is intended to be grasped in the hand by a user in
order to perform these two treatments. It is therefore of sufficient size
that the device can be handled with ease, even by the elderly or those
with reduced mobility. In this respect, it will have a length of between
60 mm and 180 mm, preferably between 90 and 150 mm.

[0045] Its width is also sufficient to allow the device to be handled with
ease. It will, for example, range between 10 mm and 30 mm, and preferably
between 15 and 25 mm.

[0046] However, it must be noted that the width and thickness must be
sufficient to give the device sufficient rigidity, particularly when the
afflicted region of the nail needs to be filed. The applicator 3, which
needs to be inserted in a bottle containing the film-forming solution
that is to be applied, is carried by an end 4 that is narrowed so that
the spatula can be fully inserted right to the bottom of the bottle. The
spatula and the handle will therefore be produced from a material that is
chemically compatible with the solution that is to be applied, for
example made of a plastic or glass, notably of polycarbonate.

[0047] In various embodiments, the spatula and the file may be either
incorporated into the handle or mounted on the handle using removable
means of attachment.

[0048] It will thus be possible, in various embodiments, either to provide
a spatula and a file incorporated into the handle, or a removable file
and a spatula incorporated into the handle, or a file incorporated into
the handle and a removable spatula or alternatively, a file and a spatula
which are both removable.

[0049]FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment in which the spatula and the file are
affixed to the handle using removable means of attachment.

[0050] Regarding the file, this may be affixed using bonding, for example
using a repositionable adhesive suited to the intended use.

[0051] However, in the embodiment illustrated, as depicted in FIG. 2, the
file in this instance is produced from an abrasive sheet the corners of
which fit under notches or slots, such as 7, of which here there are
four, provided in the handle in order to hold the file in position.

[0052] To make it easier to replace a used file, lateral cutouts, such as
8, will be provided on each side of the file between two lateral notches
7, so that the file can be grasped and pulled manually out of the
notches.

[0053] As far as the applicator is concerned, as indicated earlier, this
is in the form of a perforated stick. With reference to FIG. 3, it has a
first end 9 provided with perforations to make it easier to apply the
product and an opposite end 10 delimiting a tail which clips into an
axial housing 11 provided at the end 4 of the handle 2.

[0054] For removably holding the spatula 3 in position, the peripheral
wall of the housing 11 and the tail 10 comprise one or more bulges and
the other of them comprises one or more corresponding housings into which
a bulge fits. In the example illustrated, the tail 10 of the spatula 3
comprises lateral housings 12, two of them in this instance, while the
wall of the housing 11 comprises a peripheral bulge 13.

[0055] It will be noted that the means for clip fastening the spatula into
the handle are designed to hold the spatula in position while at the same
time allowing it to be disengaged with a small amount of effort.

[0056] However, arranging the clip-fastening means in some other way would
not constitute a departure from the scope of the invention. Likewise,
other removable means of attachment can be used in place of
clip-fastening means.

[0057] Specifically, with reference to FIG. 4, when applying the product
to a nail 0, most of the load applied to the spatula 3 is directed
transversally (arrows F1).

[0058] By contrast, because of the axial positioning of the housing 11,
the force required to insert and remove a spatula 3 is exerted in an
axial direction (arrow F2). It is therefore possible to provide
clip-fastening means that require a small amount of effort to operate
them, because they are not loaded when the product is being applied.

[0059] In the exemplary embodiment just described, the applicator 3 and
the file 5 consist of removable and disposable items which have to be
replaced after each use. The application device therefore comes in the
form of a kit containing a handle, a first set of disposable files, and a
second set of disposable spatulas.

[0060] As an alternative, it would however be possible to provide such a
kit containing just one spatula mounted on a handle and a set of files
or, in another alternative, a single file and a set of disposable
spatulas.

[0061] However, the embodiment in which the file and the spatula each
constitute a disposable item is advantageous in as much as it allows any
contamination to be avoided.

[0062] However, it will be noted that neither removably attaching the
spatula or the file to the handle by clip-fastening, bonding or any other
means, nor incorporating these into this handle constitute departures
from the scope of the invention.

[0063] In this regard, for example, the file could be produced in the form
of an abrasive surface region of the handle.

[0064] Thus, it would be possible to envision a surface treatment of the
handle, which might be chemical or mechanical according to the roughness
that is to be obtained, particularly when the handle is made of glass or
of a plastic. The handle will thus preferably be produced from a material
that is rigid enough to allow at least 400 applications of treating the
excess thickness of nail.

[0065] It may be desirable to use materials of lower rigidity, but to plan
to use additions, such as added fillers, that stiffen the finished
product.

[0066] The device which has just been described is used as follows.

[0067] With reference first of all to FIG. 6, in a first step, after
cleaning, the afflicted region of the nail has first of all to be filed
using the file 5. The handle 2 then simply needs to be inserted, via its
end 4, into a bottle F containing a solution that is to be applied (FIG.
7) so as to pick up a quantity of product. The product is then applied
using the spatula (FIG. 8). In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to
5, following use, the used file and the used spatula are then replaced.

[0068] The invention therefore provides a device that allows easy and
effective treatment of a surface that is to be treated, and does so in a
particularly hygienic manner.

[0069] It will be noted in particular that, by virtue of the length of the
handle, the toenails can easily be treated without having to bend over
too far.

[0070] Finally, it will be noted that the invention is not restricted to
the embodiment described.

[0071] Specifically, with reference to FIG. 9, it is also possible to
provide, on the handle, an additional treatment member 14, in this
instance produced in the form of a pad laden with cleaning product.

[0072] For example, this product may be a solvent or a spirit able to
dissolve a treatment product applied in an earlier treatment and which is
solidified on the nail, or a nail cleaning product.

[0073] The pad 14 may consist of a pad made of a woven or nonwoven, etc.

[0074] It is advantageously attached to one of the large faces of the
handle on the opposite side to the face that carries the file. For
preference, removable means of attachment, for example a repositionable
adhesive or means of attachment of the hook and loop type will be
provided, the pad 14 in such an instance having a structure that allows
it to be held using such removable means of attachment.

[0075] Thanks to the use of such a pad, it has now become possible to
clean the nail beforehand, and do so with relative ease, thanks to the
length of the handle.

[0076] Finally, it will be noted that the invention is not restricted to
the envisioned embodiment.

[0077] Specifically, it is possible for the device, and particularly the
handle, to be supplemented by a means intended to make it easier to see
the treatment product.

[0078] For example in this respect the handle may be fitted with an
electronic system to assist with picking up the medicament. Such a system
may, for example, be produced in the form of a counter designed to
countdown evenly from an initial number of doses and supplemented where
appropriate by a programmer and an alarm, for example an audible alarm,
to remind the patient of the dates and times of dosage. With such a
system, it is thus planned that the patient must, each time the audible
alarm is sounded, perform a positive action, which in this instance
involves canceling the audible alarm, making it possible therefore to
avoid the missed treatments which might otherwise occur. Finally, it will
be noted that the invention is not restricted to the embodiment
described.

[0079] It will be noted in this respect that, as already mentioned, in
various embodiments the applicator and the file may consist of removable
and disposable items which need to be replaced after each use.

[0080] The spatula and the file may be attached removably by clip
fastening, bonding, or any other means to the handle or incorporated into
the latter.

[0081] FIGS. 10 and 11, in which items identical to those already
described bear the same numerical references, depicting an embodiment in
which the applicator 3 is mounted in an axial housing made in the handle
2 while the file 5 is mounted in the handle by clip fastening.

[0082] Thus, in this embodiment, the applicator 3 which, in use,
experiences essentially transverse loading when considering the overall
axis of the device, is simply held in position in the handle by being
inserted into the housing.

[0083] By contrast, the file 5 to which axial load is applied, is held in
position by clip fastening. Thus, for example, the handle 2 will be
provided with a tab 15 which is internally, that is to say on the side
facing toward the file 5, provided with an end bulge, serving to hold the
file in position and also comprising an axial extension 15 on which the
file 5 rests.

[0084] It may also be seen from this figure that, advantageously, the
handle 20 is configured in such a way as to adopt an ergonomic shape. In
this regard, housings such as 16 intended to accept a user's fingers may
be provided.